Portable tool kit for Parks Canada, Nunavut Field Office

Composite tools for a portable
Discovery Kit

It feels so good to be getting more orders out the door!  Here is a pair of hafted artifact reproductions based on the Independence I artifacts found at Kettle Lake in Quttinirpaaq National Park in Nunavut.  I've been working off-an-on with this collection and the Parks Canada Nunavut Field Office since 2010.  Originally I reproduced the artifacts exactly as they came out of the ground and then in 2013 I traveled to Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord to host artifact reproduction workshops in the communities.

Case Closed.

The case has been re-opened.

 Photo Credits: Tim Rast

So close...

Reproductions (R)
and Artifacts (L)

Every day more and more of the Ikaahuk artifact reproductions are become indistinguishable from the original artifacts.  On each visit now I really need to focus on how I handle the pieces so I don't end up tossing the artifacts in my reproduction box or bagging the reproductions in the artifact bags.  If I absolutely had to, I could probably hand over all the pieces as they are now and be satisfied with the outcome, but I have two more visits scheduled to make last minute adjustments.  I'm mainly working on matching the colour, breakage patterns, and texture of the originals at this point.

Ivory fishing lure reproduction (L), almost done

The Pre-Dorset Lance Heads and the awls made from old foreshafts are now completely interchangeable between reproductions (bottom) and the orignals (top) 

I'm happy with the colour and texture of the underside of the antler lance head/harpoon head.  Reproduction (bottom) and Artifact (top)

Photo Credits: Tim Rast

Pre-Dorset Harpoon/Lance Head in Progress

This is the pre-Dorset harpoon head or lance head from the Ikaahuk set.  The general shape of the reproduction is there, but there is still a fair bit of detail work left to do.

Photo Credit: Tim Rast

Pre-Dorset Awl

Pre-Dorset awl and reproduction.  At this point I'm shaving off a millimetre at a time to match the size, but I'm also beginning to etch in the root marks so that the finished piece will have a sense of depth to the root etching.

Photo Credit: Tim Rast

Thule Harpoon Head

This is such an intricate piece with so many twists and turns to it that progress is slow.  Its hard to keep it all straight in your head in three dimensions, so I plan one set of cuts at a time.

Photo Credits: Tim Rast

Reproducing Artifacts for the Ikaahuk Archaeology Project

Pre-Dorset Harpoon Head

I'm starting work on an exciting new commission for the Ikaahuk Archaeology Project.  The artifacts are permanently stored at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife and are being housed at The Rooms while they are on loan here in Newfoundland.  I love working on reproductions when I can work from the actual artifacts.  The eight pieces in the collection are remarkable examples of the 4500 year long history of Banks Island in the Western Arctic from Pre-Dorset right up to historic Inuvialuit. Over the coming weeks I'll be working on and blogging about these eight artifacts in more detail, but here is a first peek from my initial visit with the artifacts this morning.

Historic awl, with iron point

Lisa Hodgetts, the project lead with the Ikaahuk Archaeology Project, sent me photos of all of the artifacts, which I used to prepare the quote.  Once the quote was accepted, Lisa went to work helping set up the loan agreement between the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre and The Rooms.  The artifacts were shipped to the Province this week and arrived at The Rooms yesterday.  I printed these photos at 1:1 scale and took them with me to the Archaeology and Ethnology Lab at The Rooms to compare to the actual artifacts.  I took notes and measurements and added them to the printouts of the photos.  I also started taking my own photos of all the odd angles and details that I will need as I work on the reproductions.  These printouts and photos will be my templates when I'm in the workshop.  Most of the artifacts are more-or-less complete, with only minor damage, so I'll make complete versions of the artifacts, then break them and antique them to match the originals.  The plan is to take the works-in-progress in to The Rooms to compare against the originals two or three times a week until the work is all done.

Pre-Dorset Awl

Thule Harpoon Head 

Thule Slate Ulu

Pre-Dorset Scraper

Thule Bola Weight 

Historic Fishing Lure

Photo Credits: Tim Rast